樂天羊肉

樂天羊肉 sits on Roosevelt Road Section 1 in Taipei's Zhongzheng District, its menu simple and built on three mutton soups — angelica, garlic, and vegetable — the broth clear and the mutton slices free of any gamey smell, lifted with ginger shreds; on a refill the shop asks whether to add more ginger and rice wine, at no extra charge. The angelica mutton-and-rib soup is light on medicinal notes with a peppery kick, the ribs so tender they fall off the bone at a nudge; add a bowl of diced-pork-skin lu-rou-fan for just NT$10 more, sticky-soft and slightly sweet, its meat-to-rice ratio just right.

Seats are few, with green-tiled tabletops, dividers between seats, and AC, and there's often a wait for a table at mealtimes. One diner said “a clean, tidy dining room plus a very clear mutton soup — it earned 2/500 Bowls, well deserved,” another “the mutton has no gamey smell at all, very tasty, always a long line at mealtimes”; but some reviews note the broth leans sweet and the price is a touch high, so taste is a matter of opinion. Open daily 11:30am to 9:00pm.